Author Archives - Page 20 of 25 - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Chandler, Matt

Chandler, Matt

Matt Chandler is an award-winning children’s book author from Buffalo, New York. He is a former newspaper editor, freelance magazine writer and the author of 22 books. He regularly visits elementary schools for author visits to share his experiences as a writer with students. He writes primarily non-fiction books including many titles on sports and four books about ghosts and haunted places! www.mattchandlerwriting.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I wrote my first book when I was six-years-old!
2. I once had a job dressing up as Clifford the Big Red Dog for bookstore events.
3. I am terrified of eating Zucchini . . . REALLY terrified.

Magaziner, Lauren

Lauren Magaziner is the author of The Mythics series, the Case Closed series, The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, Pilfer Academy, and Wizardmatch. She is originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, and she currently lives in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time. Lauren is also a secret, undercover international detective, but don’t blow her cover. You can visit Lauren at www.laurenmagaziner.com.

Awards:

International Bestseller, Junior Library Guild Selection, Kirkus starred review, Indie Next List Pick, translated into 10 languages, and movie rights optioned to Nickelodeon.

3 Fun Facts

1. Lauren wrote the first Mythics book in 9 days… after thinking about it for 4 years.
2. Lauren once stuck her face in a faerie river of eternal youth in Scotland.
3. To write the pick-your-own-path series Case Closed, Lauren uses a giant whiteboard and five different color markers to plot everything out.

Kelly, David A.

Kelly, David A.

David A. Kelly gets to go to Moon, baseball stadiums, and football games for his job. David is the author of over 30 children’s books that have sold over 1.5 million copies, including his bestselling Ballpark Mysteries series in which cousins Kate and Mike visit MLB ballparks to solve mysteries, and the Football Mysteries series, in which they visit NFL stadiums. David’s latest picture book, Tee Time on the Moon, takes readers to the Moon with Alan Shepard as he hits two golf balls during the Apollo 14 mission. www.davidakellybooks.com.

Awards

Booklist Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, Library Media Connection Editor’s Choice, Maine Chickadee Award, Maryland Blue Crab Award, Missouri State Teacher’s Association Reading Circle selection, New York Public Library Best Books for Kids.

3 Fun Facts

1. I once met baseball superstar Hank Aaron.
2. I used to wear a cowboy hat for my job.
3. I watched the last Space Shuttle take off in person.

Kowitt, Holly

Kowitt, Holly

Holly Kowitt has written and/or illustrated over 50 titles for young readers, and has sold over five million books. Her hit series for Scholastic, The Loser List, won many awards, and was translated into twelve languages. In her latest series, The Principal’s Underwear is Missing, she continues the same funny, reader-friendly, cartoon-stuffed style of storytelling. www.kowittbooks.com

She lives in New York City, where she enjoys cycling, theatre, and swing-dancing.

3 Fun Facts

1. My husband is a Broadway actor
2. I live in New York City where I like to read, cycle and go to flea markets
3. My book was inspired by a British book series about an aristocratic party boy and his very smart butler

Sattler, Jennifer

Jennifer Sattler is the award-winning author and illustrator of many children’s books, including Sylvie , the Chick ‘N’ Pug and Pig Kahuna series, The Jennifer Sattler Board Book series (Dirty Birdies, Jungle Gym, Bundle Up, Oink Oink Moo Cock-a-doodle doo) Bully and One Red Sock. She grew up outside of Philadelphia and then went on to study painting and drawing at the University of New Hampshire, followed by the Hope School of Fine Arts at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 1996, she won a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her books have won The Mockingbird Award for Picture Books and The Georgia Children’s Book Award. Jennifer lives in upstate New York. www.jennifersattlerbooks.com

3 Fun Facts

1. The person I talk to most all day is not a person at all… it’s my dog Matilda.
2. I wear yellow tinted glasses around the house in winter to trick myself into thinking it’s sunny out.
3. When I dance, I plant my feet and move the rest of my body. My family says I look like a tree.

Donnelly, Jennifer

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning, bestselling author who writes for middle-graders, young adults and grown-ups. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, daughter and their two chiweenies. www.jenniferdonnelly.com

3 Fun Facts

1. Halloween in my favorite holiday.
2. Vultures are my favorite birds.
3. Bats are my favorite animals.

Ladd, London

Ladd, London

London started his career painting murals. His big break came when he illustrated March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World (Scholastic), written by Christine King Farris, the older sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since then London has illustrated numerous titles including Frederick’s Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass, an ALA Notable Children’s Book for Middle Readers. London is represented by Lori Nowicki of Painted-Words. www.londonladd.com

3 Fun Facts

1. My favorite snack while working is eating various favors of M&M’s like dark chocolate, peanut, almond, peanut butter and pretzel mixed into fresh buttery popcorn. Many artistic problems were solved chewing on it.
2. I really enjoy going to the gym, especially after eating my popcorn 😉
3. I love shopping at thrift stores and used bookstores. Not many things are better than spending days going to multiple stores.

Katz, Alan

Alan Katz has written 50+ highly acclaimed books for young readers, including Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs and OOPS!, Alan is the co-author (with the Today Show’s Dylan Dreyer) of Misty the Cloud, a New York Times Bestseller. Alan’s other recent titles include Got Your Nose!, Really Stupid Stories for Really Smart Kids, three Lieographies, and the first five books in the Society of Substitutes series. Alan has also created comic books, trading card sets, TV series and commercials, and hundreds of other special projects for kids and their parents. Visit him at alankatzbooks.com

Awards

NY Times Bestseller
Utah Children’s Poetry Book Award Winner
North Carolina Children’s Book Award Winner
Colorado Children’s Picture Book of the Year Winner

3 Fun Facts

1. My daughter Simone is getting married on June 21st!
2. My favorite food is cantaloupe.
3. I am the biggest NY Mets fan ever.

LaMonica, Lisa

LaMonica, Lisa

Lisa LaMonica is an author and illustrator in upstate New York who has received awards for her art and books including a grant from the Kaplan Fund. She was nominated for Artist of the Year in 2002 by the Columbia County Council on the Arts. Lisa currently writes for WMHT and the Times Union. www.lisalamonica.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I have been to several places in the Caribbean where pirates roamed.
2. I have twice been featured on PBS/WMHT
3. I buy, fix up and sell old houses.

LaReau, Kara

LaReau, Kara

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. She is the author of picture books such as UGLY FISH, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové; a chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill. Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their cat. www.karalareau.com

3 Fun Facts

1. I am a bit like the Bland Sisters in that I can be a bit of a homebody (and, like Kale, I tend to part my hair on the side).
2. I am NOT like the Bland Sisters in that I don’t like cheese sandwiches or darning other people’s socks. (I don’t even like darning my own socks.)
3. I’m working on the final story in the Bland Sisters trilogy right now!